Blacki Migliozzi
and David Ingold
| Jan. 15, 2015
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Automakers sold more than 16.5 million new vehicles in the U.S. last year, up 5.9 percent from 2013. The most popular model, by a huge stretch, was the Ford F-Series pickup. In 2014, Americans bought 754,000 of them, making it the top-selling vehicle for the 33rd year in a row.
And Lincoln’s. And Cadillac’s. And Mitsubishi’s. Combined.
Chevy’s Silverado came in distant second, followed by Fiat Chrysler’s Ram truck. The top three trucks combined for 1.7 million sales, or one in every ten new vehicles sold in 2014.
Sales of light trucks grew five times faster than cars last year, increasing 10 percent compared to 1.8 percent for cars.
Since the end of the recession, sales of cars and trucks had been neck and neck: Americans bought about 39,000 more trucks than cars in 2013. But in 2014, light trucks dramatically pulled away, outselling cars by 685,000 vehicles. Sales of midsize cars, which include the typical family sedan, actually shrank 0.5 percent.
After slumping during the economic downturn, large SUVs—a category that includes American behemoths like the Chevy Suburban, Ford Expedition, and GMC Yukon—are again in demand. Sales were up 12.4 percent in 2014.
Sales for top-end models including the Cadillac Escalade, the Mercedes-Benz M Class, and the Lexus GX 460, together jumped 14.2 percent.
Americans still buy sedans in large but dwindling numbers: 3.6 million of them in 2014. For the 13th straight year, the Toyota Camry was the best-selling car in the U.S., followed by the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Altima. An American automaker hasn't held the top spot since the Ford Taurus in 1996, and only three domestic cars were among the top 10 in 2014.
Sales of crossovers—wannabe SUVs built on car platforms—reached 3.8 million last year, surpassing midsized sedans. Nearly one in four new vehicles purchased in the U.S. are now crossovers.
They’ve introduced a slew of new models in recent years, including the Jeep Cherokee, Lincoln MKC, and Buick Encore, which are competing against the best-selling Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota RAV4.
The Toyota Prius, once the hottest eco-friendly vehicle on the road, saw sales drop by 11.5 percent in 2014 across its models. Overall, purchases of hybrid electrics, which combine gas and electric engines, were down almost 9 percent.
Sales of plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars, led by the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and Chevrolet Volt, increased 23 percent last year from 2013, according to hybridcars.com.
Sales of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi all rose faster than the overall new-car market
.
Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Ferrari, which make up less than 1 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales, grew a combined 25 percent in 2014. The scene-stealing Ford GT sports car, with an expected sticker price well into the six figures, will find itself in very good company.
Automakers sold more than 16.5 million new vehicles in the U.S. last year, up 5.9 percent from 2013. The most popular model, by a huge stretch, was the Ford F-Series pickup. In 2014, Americans bought 754,000 of them, making it the top-selling vehicle for the 33rd year in a row.
And Lincoln’s. And Cadillac’s. And Mitsubishi’s. Combined.
Chevy’s Silverado came in distant second, followed by Fiat Chrysler’s Ram truck. The top three trucks combined for 1.7 million sales, or one in every ten new vehicles sold in 2014.
Sales of light trucks grew five times faster than cars last year, increasing 10 percent compared to 1.8 percent for cars.
Since the end of the recession, sales of cars and trucks had been neck and neck: Americans bought about 39,000 more trucks than cars in 2013. But in 2014, light trucks dramatically pulled away, outselling cars by 685,000 vehicles. Sales of midsize cars, which include the typical family sedan, actually shrank 0.5 percent.
After slumping during the economic downturn, large SUVs—a category that includes American behemoths like the Chevy Suburban, Ford Expedition, and GMC Yukon—are again in demand. Sales were up 12.4 percent in 2014.
Sales for top-end models including the Cadillac Escalade, the Mercedes-Benz M Class, and the Lexus GX 460, together jumped 14.2 percent.
Americans still buy sedans in large but dwindling numbers: 3.6 million of them in 2014. For the 13th straight year, the Toyota Camry was the best-selling car in the U.S., followed by the Honda Accord, Toyota Corolla, and Nissan Altima. An American automaker hasn't held the top spot since the Ford Taurus in 1996, and only three domestic cars were among the top 10 in 2014.
Sales of crossovers—wannabe SUVs built on car platforms—reached 3.8 million last year, surpassing midsized sedans. Nearly one in four new vehicles purchased in the U.S. are now crossovers.
They’ve introduced a slew of new models in recent years, including the Jeep Cherokee, Lincoln MKC, and Buick Encore, which are competing against the best-selling Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Toyota RAV4.
The Toyota Prius, once the hottest eco-friendly vehicle on the road, saw sales drop by 11.5 percent in 2014 across its models. Overall, purchases of hybrid electrics, which combine gas and electric engines, were down almost 9 percent.
Sales of plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars, led by the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and Chevrolet Volt, increased 23 percent last year from 2013, according to hybridcars.com.
Sales of Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi all rose faster than the overall new-car market
.
Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, and Ferrari, which make up less than 1 percent of all U.S. vehicles sales, grew a combined 25 percent in 2014. The scene-stealing Ford GT sports car, with an expected sticker price well into the six figures, will find itself in very good company.
